If you’re an avid visitor of the gym, then the chances are that you’ll have taken some of those all-important gym pictures for your socials, or perhaps taken some UGC for your obligations to brands that you work with.
Taking photos and videos in the gym can be a great way of tracking your progress as you document your journey, especially if you have a goal in mind, such as hitting a Personal Best with powerlifting, losing weight, or preparing for a bodybuilding competition. It can also inspire others to follow you on your journey, and even choose to embark upon their own journey.
In this blog, we’ll provide you with some great tips for taking DIY photos in the gym, that will make your socials pop and provide you with motivation to take on your goals even harder than ever.
Use the lighting effectively
If you’re capturing more of a body shot, then natural light isn’t strictly your best friend. Since it doesn’t hide or emphasise any one part of your physique, you might want to take advantage of overhead or side lighting, which will cast more interesting shadows and emphasise your curves and ripples.
Mix up your poses
Think about how you’ll present your body transformation in the best possible way. Have you been working on your glutes more? Then be sure to get plenty of side and back shots to show the work you’ve put in. Show off the work you’ve been putting into your back with some lat pulldowns, show off your arms with the use of a bench and dumbbells or standing with a barbell. A low cable row shot from the side can also emphasise shoulders and biceps if shot from the side. You can find more helpful hints and tips, as well as a useful video with our founder Collette Evans, here.
Use a tripod to accurately frame the shots
How gutting would it be to achieve a PB or run through a series of poses, showing how you make your post-workout shake with your favourite protein and then find your video is blurry, or worse, you mostly got a great view of the ceiling or floor of the gym? Just stabilise the camera with a tripod like this foldaway one, frame yourself nicely, then focus on doing what you do best.
Experiment with angles
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different angles when taking your gym check-in photo. A different angle can give your photo a whole new look, especially when you consider the different angles of the lighting in your workout space. We have a great and very popular blog about how to use angles and the light to your advantage here.
Maximise the power of video
If you’re making a short video for your Stories or Reels then you’ll likely be capturing yourself during your workout, whether you’re powerlifting and going for a new PB like our social media expert and influencer Jen Hammonds, or you’re hammering your quads on a top leg press like our company founder and bodybuilding champion Collette Evans. Videos are an amazing way to capture and celebrate personal bests!
Use props
Props can add interest to your gym check-in photo. A water bottle or some weights can all add a touch of personality to your photo.
If you’re partnered with a brand and want to provide them with some UGC, or maybe you want to catch the attention of a brand you admire, then be sure to get their logo or products in the shot! Equally, ensure that other brand logos are out of sight.
Edit your photo or video
Once you’ve taken your photos, you can use any number of photo editing apps to edit them. Most smartphones have in-built contrast, brightness, saturation, and other filter settings.
It can be tempting to simply drop an Instagram filter on it and move on, but you’re looking to capture yourself in the best possible way, so tweak and tinker until you’re completely happy with your work.
As with images, lots of video editing software is available that can help you to perform basic colour correction and brightness tasks to perfect the content and ensure you’ve caught something truly shareable. You can either edit your photos using your smartphone build in editor or use an app such as Adobe Lightroom. When editing video, it’s a good idea to trim the beginning and end where you’re likely to be walking away and towards the camera if you’re self-filming.
Share your content on social media
Once you’re happy with your photo or video, then you must share it on social media. Share it on your Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok accounts, as well as any other platforms you’re active. The more people who see your content, the more likely you are to inspire others to get fit.
Make sure you have an authentic caption that represents who you are and your personality. Are you early in your journey and just getting to grips with your confidence levels? Then don’t hide behind that. People relate to people, so be authentic.
Use hashtags to give your content the best chance of being found by other like-minded individuals, or people on a similar journey to you. You can find hashtag collections on sites such as this one
Here are some current hashtags for ‘bodybuilding’
#bodybuilding #fitness #gym #workout #fitnessmotivation #motivation #fit #muscle #gymlife #training #fitfam #gymmotivation #fitnessmodel #lifestyle #bodybuilder #health #personaltrainer #crossfit #powerlifting #instagood #healthy #healthylifestyle #fitspo #instafit #strong #gains #exercise #sport #love #fitnessaddict
Don’t be afraid to call in the professionals
This article is a guide to getting the best possible DIY gym check-in content, but you may want to enlist the help of professionals to not only help you get the best content but also to find the best audience on the best platforms. This is where the team of professionals at Picture Perfect Photography comes in.
We offer a comprehensive content service for brands and individuals alike; starting with a content and shoot strategy session, we will work with you to understand your goals and your expectations of a video and photography shoot at the gym.
Picture Perfect Photography: The perfect partner for fitness fanatics
Our principal photographer Collette Evans is no stranger to the gym herself, having worked her way to several natural bodybuilding titles and medals. She works closely with gyms, PTs, health and fitness brands, and individuals to capture them in the best way, so she is in the unique position of being as comfortable in front of the camera as she is behind it, which in turn puts her photography subjects completely at ease.
And that’s not all; our social media partner Jennifer Hammonds at UserJenContent is a social media influencer, model, and avid powerlifter who has gained thousands of followers through her own health and fitness platforms. If you want to truly get the most out of your social media strategies, then Picture Perfect Photography really are the definition of a one-stop shop.
If you’re a fitness professional, consider our creative strategy & consultancy coaching, turn up at the gym and get the benefit of professionals with over twenty years of photography and social media experience between them. That’s what working with Picture Perfect Photography will offer.
We have a choice of three fitness shoot package options to suit your requirements or budget, and we have online booking available for fitness shoots, so why not check out the available dates and book here.
Get in touch for an initial enquiry by using the form below, give us a call at 01226872517, or why not drop Collette a message on WhatsApp at 07458099039 and start your journey toward having some amazing visual content that is guaranteed to make your followers and potential partner brands sit up and take notice.
